1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid applying apparatus for uniformly applying liquid onto a sheet-state object, in particular, a liquid applying apparatus for applying liquid onto an object by bringing the object to be applied with the liquid into contact with a liquid applying member.
And further, the present invention relates to an image forming substance removing apparatus for removing an image forming substance from a sheet-state image carrier to which the image forming substance is stably attached by an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile device, printer, etc., in particular, an image forming substance removing apparatus for applying an unstabilizing liquid onto the image carrier by use of the aforementioned liquid applying apparatus and thereafter removing the image forming substance from the image carrier applied with the unstabilizing liquid by use of the image forming substance removing apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, there are various sorts of image forming substance removing apparatus for removing an image forming substance from a sheet-state image carrier stably applied with the image forming substance such as toner on the surface thereof, for instance, a used (copied) sheet of paper. The published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1-101576/1989, as an example of the image forming substance removing apparatus, discloses an image forming substance removing apparatus for dipping the image carrier applied with toner as the image forming substance into solvent, applying an ultrasonic vibration thereto, and peeling off the toner melted in the solvent from the surface of the paper.
And further, the published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 4-300395/1992 discloses another image forming substance removing apparatus for applying the solvent on the printed portion of the image carrier by use of the method of dipping, spraying, or painting, melting the toner as an image forming substance therein, removing the melted toner by use of a method of cleaning, air-sucking, contacting with sucking solvent (agent), mechanical peeling-off, or electrostatic sucking, etc., and thereafter, performing a process of finishing paper employed as the image carrier by drying and/or expanding the paper, etc.
However, in such image forming substance removing apparatus employing the solvent as mentioned above, since the employed solvent exerts a bad influence on the human body or the environment, it is unfavorable to install the above-mentioned apparatus in an office. And further, it is necessary to employ various sorts of solvent in different ways in accordance with the sorts of the image forming substance and thereby the working becomes complicated (troublesome). These are problems to be solved in the conventional arts.
On the other hand, as an example of an apparatus not employing such a solvent, the published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2-255195/1990 discloses still another image forming substance removing apparatus in which thermo-fusable ink or toner is applied to a printing body employed as the image carrier, and which has a peeling-off agent painted on (applied to) the supporting body thereof by use of the electrophotographic method or the thermal transferring method, the above-mentioned printing body is superposed on an ink peeling-off body and the united bodies pass through the space between the heating roller and the pressurizing roller, the ink peeling-off body is removed (peeled off) from the printing body after cooling these united bodies, and thereby the ink or toner is attached to the ink peeling-off body for removing the ink or toner from the printing body (image carrier).
Furthermore, the published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 4-64472/1992 discloses still another image forming substance removing apparatus including an endless sheet having at least a thermo-fusable resin on the surface thereof, a heating roller and a cooling roller for supporting and rotating the endless sheet thereon, a pressurizing roller for pressurizedly pushing the paper (erasable paper) employed as an image carrier having a surface processed with the peeling-off treatment on the surface thereof onto the softened or fused thermo-fusable resin, and a driving portion for driving unitarily these elements.
And further, the published specification of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 4-82983/1992 discloses still another image forming substance removing apparatus including a pair of rollers disposed in parallel rotating in a state of being brought into pressurized contact with each other and causing the paper employed as the image carrier to pass through the pressurized space between the pair of rollers, a heater for heating at least one of the pair of rollers, a scratching member for separating the paper from the rollers after passing therethrough, and a peeling-off unit for removing (peeling off) the image forming substance attached to the rollers.
However, in the image forming substance removing apparatus not employing such solvents, if the apparatus is employed for removing the image forming substance from the recorded or copied sheet material (image carrier) having an image recorded on ordinary paper, on the surface of which paper fiber is exposed, the image forming substance is firmly stuck to the fiber on the surface of the sheet material, for instance, the image forming substance having thermo-fusable resin as a main component is fusedly fixed on the sheet material on the fixing process of the electrophotographic method. Consequently, the paper fiber on the surface of the sheet material is peeled off together with the image forming substance at the time of removing the image forming substance therefrom, and thereby the paper is injured. This is a problem to be solved. And further, in order to enhance the removing property of the image forming substance, heat and pressure are applied onto the above-mentioned ink peeling-off agent, endless sheet, or roller. On this occasion, the fixing property between the image forming substance and the sheet material is also enhanced contrary to the expectation, and as a result the removal of the image forming substance becomes difficult according to the various conditions.
In such a situation, the present applicant (inventors) has already proposed previously still another image forming substance removing apparatus in which at least one sort of water or water solution selected from the group including water employed as an unstabilizing liquid, a water solution containing a surface active agent, a water solution containing a water soluble polymer, and a water solution containing both of a surface active agent and a water soluble polymer is applied (by painting) to the copied sheet material employed as the image carrier or the object to be applied (painted) with the image forming substance is applied to the copied sheet material employed as the image carrier or the object to be liquid-applied (painted), and thereby the image forming substance is removed from the sheet material applied (painted) with the unstabilizing liquid by use of the image forming substance removing means. (For instance, refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 4-255916/1992.) According to this apparatus, the solvent employed therein does not exert any bad influence on the human body or the environment and thereby the apparatus can be installed in an office. Furthermore, it is not always necessary to employ the solvent in different ways in accordance with the sort of the copied sheet material.
And further, according to this apparatus, only the image forming substance can be removed without comparatively (considerably) damaging the paper property of the sheet material.
This image forming substance removing apparatus includes a liquid applying apparatus carrying the unstabilizing liquid, the surface of which is driven so as to endlessly move the surface thereof by carrying the unstabilizing liquid, and which applies (paints) the unstabilizing liquid to the copied sheet material employed as the image carrier, and an image forming substance removing medium which brings the copied sheet material into contact with the sheet material in a state of being painted with the unstabilizing liquid and removes the image forming substance from the copied sheet material.
FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing the liquid applying (painting) apparatus provided with the background image forming substance removing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 25a, this liquid painting apparatus includes a tank 101 containing unstabilizing liquid 100 therein, an applying (painting) roller 102 employed as a liquid applying (painting) member which is disposed so as to partially dip the roller 102 in the tank 101, and a contacting roller 104 employed as a contacting member disposed at a position opposing the applying roller 102. In this apparatus, the applying roller 102 rotates in a direction as shown by an arrow A, and the circumferential surface thereof carries the unstabilizing liquid 100 and moves endlessly. And then, the contacting roller 104 is brought into contact with the sheet material 105 transported in a direction as shown by an arrow B, and thereby the unstabilizing liquid 100 is applied (painted) on the sheet material 105.